Chess Matches

Following on from the previous article (back in May) I set out below the top 24 chess matches based on the number of publications listed in Chess Competitions 1824-1970 by Gino Di Felice, Olomouc 2013.

 

The list shows the number of publications, the event, and Di Felice's number. 

28  Botvinnik v Tal world championship match, 1960                       2617
26  Euwe v Alekhine world championship match, 1937                     2446
26  Alekhine v Euwe world championship match, 1935                     2494
25  Capablanca v Alekhine world championship match, 1927            2443
20  Botvinnik v Smyslov world championship match, 1954               2463
18  Lasker v Capablanca world championship match, 1921               2472
16  Petrosian v Spassky world championship match, 1969                2598
15  Tal v Botvinnik world championship match, 1961                        2465
15  Botvinnik v Smyslov world championship match, 1957                2592
14  Smyslov v Botvinnik world championship match, 1958                2464
12  Botvinnik v Bronstein world championship match, 1951               2460
12  Botvinnik v Petrosian world championship match, 1963               2566
12  Petrosian v Spassky world championship match, 1966                 2567
11  Lasker v Tarrasch world championship match, 1908                     2539
11  Soviet Union v Rest of the world, 1970                                       2945
10  Alekhine v Bogoljubow world championship match, 1934             2442
  8  De La Bourdonnais v McDonnell, 1834                                        2484
  8  Steinitz v Lasker world championship match, 1894                      2537
  8  Staunton v St. Amant, 1843                                                      2607
  8  Steinitz v Zuckertort world championship match, 1886                 2615
  8  Soviet Union v U.S.A. radio match, 1945                                     2946
  7  Alekhine v Bogoljubow world championship match, 1929              2441
  7  Lasker v Marshall world championship match, 1907                     2535
  6  Steinitz v Chigorin world championship match, 1889                    2610

Di Felice's bibliography does not extend beyond 1970 so does not include the Spassky v Fischer match of 1972 which, no doubt, has inspired the largest number of books on a chess match; there are at least 20 in the English language alone.

20 of the 24 events are world championship matches and there is a nice symmetry in that the Alekhine v Euwe match of 1935 and the rematch of 1937 have the same number of publications. The De La Bourdonnais v McDonnell and Staunton v St Amant matches both took place before the establishment of a formal world championship. The other two entries are for team matches.

Many of the entries in Di Felice's bibliography are not books devoted to the match and often include  articles on matches in magazines, collections of match games in general chess books and even collections of newspaper cuttings. However, the number of publications listed gives some indication of the relevant popularity of the events.

 

 

 

 

© Michael Clapham 2020